Hi everyone,

Just a quick question. I planted 24 key lime seedlings into my heated propagator. They had been sent in the post and had been in dry compost for about a week. Strangely, every single one of them germinated in a couple of weeks. I didn't expect even a tenth of them to do so!

They are about 2 months old now and several inches high. They are still living in the propagator. When would it be reasonable to move them from their current location? I have root trainers to put them into, but I am very conscious of the time of year and the dangers associated with transplanting. I am just worried that by the time spring comes around (end of April over here by the time frosts pass) They will have gotten all of their roots tangled. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

The message
from danny22 contains these words:

Just a quick question. I planted 24 key lime seedlings into my heated
propagator. They had been sent in the post and had been in dry compost
for about a week. Strangely, every single one of them germinated in a
couple of weeks. I didn't expect even a tenth of them to do so!

They are about 2 months old now and several inches high. They are still
living in the propagator. When would it be reasonable to move them from
their current location? I have root trainers to put them into, but I am
very conscious of the time of year and the dangers associated with
transplanting. I am just worried that by the time spring comes around
(end of April over here by the time frosts pass) They will have gotten
all of their roots tangled. Any suggestions?

What is a 'key lime'?

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
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On Dec 12, 7:47*pm, danny22
wrote:

They are about 2 months old now and several inches high. They are still
living in the propagator. When would it be reasonable to move them from
their current location? I have root trainers to put them into, but I am
very conscious of the time of year and the dangers associated with
transplanting. I am just worried that by the time spring comes around
(end of April over here by the time frosts pass) They will have gotten
all of their roots tangled. Any suggestions?

Gradually acclimatise the seedlings to conditions outside the
propagator, but don't transplant them just yet. The roots will not
become inextricably entangled in just a few months - they are too slow
growing for that. The seedlings need maximum light, moderate
temperatures (not less than 10C/50F) and careful watering. When day
lengths start to increase noticeably (around Feb.) you can move them
to root-trainers and they will need careful watering for a month or
two until the roots start to grow. After that just move them on as
necessary, although most Citrus appear to do better if kept very
slightly root bound especially in the early stages so don't be in too
much of a hurry to get them into large pots.

Rusty, the 'Key lime' (Citrus aurantifolia) is a species of Citrus
that has small, rounded fruits with a very sharp flavour and ripens
yellow. It is a large, thorny shrub or small tree that can flower and
fruit throughout the year is conditions allow. Once picked, the
fruits start to ripen so they have a shorter shelf life than the
commercially grown 'Bearss Lime'. These are most commonly seen UK
shops since they have better keeping qualities and larger, thicker
skinned fruits that aren't as acidic or strongly flavoured as the 'Key
lime'. From a commercial perspective they are favoured because of
their more reliable cropping, relatively thornless growth and few if
any seeds.

In message ,
Rusty_Hinge writes
The message
from danny22 contains these words:

Just a quick question. I planted 24 key lime seedlings into my heated
propagator. They had been sent in the post and had been in dry compost
for about a week. Strangely, every single one of them germinated in a
couple of weeks. I didn't expect even a tenth of them to do so!

They are about 2 months old now and several inches high. They are still
living in the propagator. When would it be reasonable to move them from
their current location? I have root trainers to put them into, but I am
very conscious of the time of year and the dangers associated with
transplanting. I am just worried that by the time spring comes around
(end of April over here by the time frosts pass) They will have gotten
all of their roots tangled. Any suggestions?

What is a 'key lime'?

While I have no specific description I remember one of my favourite
desserts in the BVI was Key Lime Pie - it was "citrusey", light and
luscious! It may have been made from desiccated turtle droppings for all
I know but I assumed the main ingredient was some kind of lime found in
the Caribbean/Central America area.
--
Gopher .... I know my place!

The message

from Dave Poole contains these words:

Rusty, the 'Key lime' (Citrus aurantifolia) is a species of Citrus
that has small, rounded fruits with a very sharp flavour and ripens
yellow. It is a large, thorny shrub or small tree that can flower and
fruit throughout the year is conditions allow. Once picked, the
fruits start to ripen so they have a shorter shelf life than the
commercially grown 'Bearss Lime'. These are most commonly seen UK
shops since they have better keeping qualities and larger, thicker
skinned fruits that aren't as acidic or strongly flavoured as the 'Key
lime'. From a commercial perspective they are favoured because of
their more reliable cropping, relatively thornless growth and few if
any seeds.

So, Key Lime is hardy when established? And the fruits are limes as I
would understand them?

Where can I get seeds? Or better, an established whip/sapling/small
tree? (I'm not immortal, you know...)

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
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The message
from Gopher contains these words:

While I have no specific description I remember one of my favourite
desserts in the BVI was Key Lime Pie - it was "citrusey", light and
luscious! It may have been made from desiccated turtle droppings for all
I know but I assumed the main ingredient was some kind of lime found in
the Caribbean/Central America area.

Ah. Someone on Granada once kindly sent me some pips, and they all
germinated. However, at the time I lived in a horrid shack on a
smallholding. Said shack was molished of two layers of asbestos sheet
held apart by a framework of woodworm holding hands, and the whole
edifice was capped with a lid of corrugated iron.

One winter, despite a fire which burnt continuously in the Parkray
stove, Jack frost sneaked inside my living room and stroked the
seedlings with his deadly fingers.

Mind you, that year the water butt - an iron barrel four feet high and
at least the same width, froze solid, dislodging all the wooden pegs
hammered into its side to make it hold water.

TAAAW, I and a lad who was staying over the holidays slept in one room,
he in his sleeping bag on the settee and I n the bed, and to keep us
warm (?) we had a 2" (circular) wick Valor paraffin heater, two paraffin
Aladdin 1" circular wick mantle table lamps AND a Tilley reflector fire
going full blast, and in the morning there was more than half an inch
thickness of ice on the inside of parts of one of the walls.

--
Rusty
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On Dec 13, 5:40*pm, Rusty_Hinge
wrote:

So, Key Lime is hardy when established? And the fruits are limes as I
would understand them?

The fruits are somewhat more rounded than the limes we recognise and
are more acidic. Hardiness is a relative thing and although this
Citrus may occasionally have to endure frosts in areas where it is
grown, very rapid returns to less challenging temperatures help lessen
or prevent damage. Although several Citrus can be grown in the south
and south west, C. aurantifolia is not one of them. Far too tender
for your part of the country I'm afraid and it would need to be
overwintered in a slightly heated greenhouse to survive.

The nearest we can get to a lime that will grow and fruit out of doors
in the UK is the Key lime hybrid with the Kumquat, known (not
surprisingly) as the 'Limequat'. It grows and fruits reasonably well
within half a mile of the coast in the southern-most regions, but
cannot cope with a succession of even very light frosts.

Where can I get seeds? Or better, an established whip/sapling/small
tree? (I'm not immortal, you know...)

I've not seen Key limes offered as growing plants, but then I've not
looked for them. I was sent some seeds from Mexico abut 12 years ago
and they germinated very easily. Deciding that I had no room to
overwinter them under cover, I passed them to an acquaintance in
Exeter. Despite being kept in a supposedly frost-free greenhouse,
they died during a particularly cold spell.

The message

from Dave Poole contains these words:
On Dec 13, 5:40*pm, Rusty_Hinge
wrote:

So, Key Lime is hardy when established? And the fruits are limes as I
would understand them?

The fruits are somewhat more rounded than the limes we recognise and
are more acidic. Hardiness is a relative thing and although this
Citrus may occasionally have to endure frosts in areas where it is
grown, very rapid returns to less challenging temperatures help lessen
or prevent damage. Although several Citrus can be grown in the south
and south west, C. aurantifolia is not one of them. Far too tender
for your part of the country I'm afraid and it would need to be
overwintered in a slightly heated greenhouse to survive.

Hum. Putting up a lean-to greenhouse in the angle made by garage and
workshop (also under construction), and this will have other tender or
tender-ish things in it. (Have some passionfruit vines, lemons, oranges
and satsumas for a start, so will have to keep it reasonably warm during
the winter.

I'll have to gargle for one/some. I expect Chiltern seeds will have the eggs.

The nearest we can get to a lime that will grow and fruit out of doors
in the UK is the Key lime hybrid with the Kumquat, known (not
surprisingly) as the 'Limequat'. It grows and fruits reasonably well
within half a mile of the coast in the southern-most regions, but
cannot cope with a succession of even very light frosts.

Want-want-want!

Where can I get seeds? Or better, an established whip/sapling/small
tree? (I'm not immortal, you know...)

I've not seen Key limes offered as growing plants, but then I've not
looked for them. I was sent some seeds from Mexico abut 12 years ago
and they germinated very easily. Deciding that I had no room to
overwinter them under cover, I passed them to an acquaintance in
Exeter. Despite being kept in a supposedly frost-free greenhouse,
they died during a particularly cold spell.

Serious research...

--
Rusty
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